©Relationship between endophytic fungal diversity and colonization and soil factors of cultured blueberry roots in Guizhou Province, Southwest China.

Dark septate endophytes (DSEs) inhabit plant roots and soil in ecosystems and host plants worldwide. DSE colonization is influenced by cultivars, soil factors, and specific habitat conditions. The regular diversity of DSEs in blueberries in Guizhou, China, is still unclear. In this study, four cultivars (Gardenblue, Powderblue, O'Neal, and Legacy) in three areas (Gaopo, Majiang, and Fenggang) in Guizhou were used to identify DSEs by morphological and molecular biological methods and to clarify the relationship between DSE diversity and DSE colonization and soil factors of cultivated blueberries in Guizhou. The DSEs isolated from cultivated blueberry roots in 3 areas in Guizhou Province were different, belonging to 17 genera, and the dominant genera were Penicillium, Phialocephala, and Thozetella. DSEs isolated from Majiang belonged to 12 genera and 16 species, those from Gaopo belonged to 7 genera and 15 species, and those from Fenggang belonged to 5 genera and 7 species. Among the different blueberry varieties, 11 genera were isolated from O'Neal, 12 genera were isolated from Powderblue, 11 genera were isolated from Legacy and 13 genera were isolated from Gardenblue. Coniochaeta is endemic to O'Neal, Chaetomium and Curvularia are endemic to Powderblue, and Thielavia is endemic to Legacy. Correlation analysis showed that DSE diversity was significantly correlated with DSE colonization and soil factors.

Control Effect and Mechanism of Trichoderma asperellum TM11 against Blueberry Root Rot.

Fusarium oxysporum is the primary pathogen of blueberry root rot; furthermore, we found that Fusarium commune can also cause root rot in blueberries. Trichoderma spp. is widely used to control plant diseases. We isolated Trichoderma asperellum (TM11) from blueberry rhizosphere soil to explore its control effect and mechanism on F. oxysporum and F. commune. We found that the inhibitory effects of TM11 volatiles and broth metabolites on F. oxysporum were significant, but only F. commune volatile metabolites had a significant inhibitory effect on its growth. Twelve known antimicrobial metabolites were detected from the methanol extract of TM11 fermentation broth by HPLC-MS. TM11 lysed and coiled around the hyphae of F. oxysporum and F. commune. The pot experiment showed that TM11 had significant control effects against F. oxysporum and F. commune, and inoculation of TM11 prior to that of F. oxysporum and F. commune was more effective. The TM11, TM11 and F. oxysporum, or F. commune and distilled water treatments had different effects on the activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase, and the enzyme activity levels exhibited the following order: TM11 > TM11 and F. oxysporum or F. commune > distilled water. The results showed that TM11 provided effective control of blueberry root rot.

Effects of the dual inoculation of dark septate endophytes and Trichoderma koningiopsis on blueberry growth and rhizosphere soil microorganisms.

Blueberry is a shallow root plant in which the absorption of nutrients is inefficient, resulting in slow growth under artificial cultivation conditions. Endophytes play an important role in promoting plant growth; however, the effects of Trichoderma spp. and dark septate endophytes (DSEs) on host plant growth and soil microorganisms are still debatable. We isolated two endophytic fungal species, Trichoderma koningiopsis (TK) and a DSE (Amesia nigricolor; AN), from blueberry roots, which can solubilize insoluble phosphorus and produce amylase and cellulase to promote plant growth. We found that under dual inoculation, the colonization rate and colonization intensity of TK were higher than they were under single inoculation with TK, while the colonization rate and colonization intensity of AN were lower under dual inoculation than under single inoculation with AN. The plant nutrients, root activity, available potassium, and parts of soil phosphatase activities were highest under dual inoculation. TK inoculation resulted in the highest diversity and richness in the soil fungi and bacteria, followed by dual inoculation. The abundance of Ascomycota, Acidobacteriae, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteriota increased significantly, resulting in Trichoderma and Vicinamibacteria inoculated with TK, Chaetomium and Alicyclobacillales inoculated with AN, and Hypocreales and Burkholderiaceae with dual inoculation enriched in the soil.

[Analyses on the relative factors regarding diabetic nephropathy].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the related factors regarding diabetic nephropathy (DN). METHODS: A total number of 756 diabetic patients from 2009 to 2011 were analyzed retrospectively. Three groups were formed according to the urinary albumin excretion rates (UAER). Patients with UAER < 20 µg/min was grouped to group A, with UAER from 20 to 200 µg/min as group B, and the others with UAER ≥ 200 µg/min was grouped to group C. General characteristics and laboratory parameters were then compared and related factors of DN analyzed. RESULTS: The constituent ratio of nephropathy was 30.2% (228/756). Patient's age, duration of disease, both diastolic and systolic blood pressure of group A were significantly higher than the non-DN group (A) (P < 0.05). Patient's age, disease duration, both diastolic and systolic blood pressure of group C were (64.08 ± 11.71) years, (14.67 ± 7.34) years, (87.43 ± 14.36) mm Hg, (152.45 ± 18.48) mm Hg, respectively, with statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) between group C and group B. FPG, TG, TC, HDL-C, UA, HbA1c, FINS, FCP of group B were (9.27 ± 3.06) mmol/L, (1.98 ± 0.37) mmol/L, (5.01 ± 1.08) mmol/L, (1.05 ± 0.35) mmol/L, (312.78 ± 39.83) mmol/L, (9.33 ± 1.47)%, (11.45 ± 7.83) µU/ml, (509.73 ± 132.78) pmol/L respectively, with significant difference (P < 0.05) between group B and group A. FPG, TG, HDL-C, UA, FINS, FCP of group C were (9.29 ± 3.12) mmol/L, (2.02 ± 0.36) mmol/L, (1.04 ± 0.27) mmol/L, (389.72 ± 46.32) mmol/L, (11.09 ± 8.29) µU/ml, (575.77 ± 143.29) pmol/L respectively, with significant difference (P < 0.05) between group C and group A. UA, FINS, FCP were found with significant differences (P < 0.05) between group C and group B. Data from multivariate logistic regression showed that DNs were related with disease duration, BMI, systolic blood pressure, HbAlc, FPG, UA. CONCLUSION: DN was closely related to the duration, age, blood sugar, blood lipids, blood pressure, uric acid levels of the disease.

[Study on the effects of acupuncture at acupoint and non-acupoint on functional connectivity of different brain regions with functional magnetic resonance imaging].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the basis of distinctive function of acupoint through observing the effects of acupuncture at the areas of acupoint and non-acupoint on functional connectivity of different brain regions. METHODS: Twenty-one healthy volunteers were randomly divided into two groups: 12 cases in the acupoint group and 9 cases in the non-acupoints group. Bilateral Zusanli (ST 36) and its lateral 3-4 mm were punctured with twirling manipulation in the acupoint group and the non-acupoints group respectively. Before and after 25 minutes treatment, data of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning was taken from bilateral cingulate gyrus (seed point) to analyze the functional connectivity in both groups. RESULTS: Brain functional connectivity was demonstrated widely in both acupoint group and non-acupoint group after acupuncture. Comparing with the non-acupoint group, in the acupoint group, brain functional connectivity with posterior cingulate gyrus was found more intensively in the bilateral tonsil, right dentate nucleus, bilateral uvula, left declive and right tuber of cerebellum, as well as in the left inferior frontal gyrus, right middle temporal gyurs, bilateral paracentral lobule, left cingulate cortex, right superior temporal gyrus, right anterior cingulate gyrus etc., however, its connectivity was less in the bilateral medial frontal gyrus and right inferior frontal gyrus. CONCLUSION: Both acupoint and non-acupoint can evoke brain functional connectivity that is similar on the most of regions, but the intensity of this connectivity in the acupoint group is higher than that in the non-acupoint group.

[The relation between fasting plasma glucose concentrations and insulin resistance].

OBJECTIVE: To study whether insulin resistance exists in the Chinese individuals with impaired glucose regulation (IGR) defined by the modified cut-point value (5.6 mmol/L) in 2003 version of ADA criteria for impaired fasting glucose (IFG). METHODS: We selected 9 persons [aged (44 +/- 5) years, body mass index (BMI) (24.0 +/- 0.8) kg/m(2)] with normal glucose regulation [NGR, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) < 5.6 mmol/L, plasma glucose-2h (PG2h) < 7.8 mmol/L], 9 [aged (49 +/- 3) years, BMI (29.0 +/- 0.8) kg/m(2)] with isolated IFG defined by the new criteria (n-i-IFG, FPG < 5.6 mmol/L, PG2h < 7.8 mmol/L), 20 with combined impaired glucose tolerance (c-IGT) including 10 [aged (45 +/- 4) years, BMI (26.0 +/- 1.3) kg/m(2)] defined by the new criteria (n-c-IGT, FPG 5.6 - 6.0 mmol/L, PG2 h 7.8 - 11.0 mmol/L) and 10 [aged (49 +/- 3) years, BMI (27.0 +/- 1.1) kg/m(2)] defined by the old criteria (o-c-IGT, FPG 6.1 - 6.9 mmol/L, PG2h 7.8 - 11.0 mmol/L), 10 [aged (43 +/- 5) years, BMI (29.0 +/- 2.8) kg/m(2)] with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Insulin resistance of the subjects was measured by using hyperinsulin-euglycemic clamp in which the glucose infusion rate (GIR) was the major index. Beta-cell function was assessed by intravenous glucose tolerance test. The DM patients only underwent the hyperinsulin-euglycemic clamp. RESULTS: (1) The GIR of n-i-IFG group and n-c-IGT group was significantly lower than that of the NGR group [(7.2 +/- 0.8), (7.0 +/- 1.5) vs (10.3 +/- 0.9) mg.kg(-1).min(-1), P < 0.05]. The GIR of o-c-IGT group was the least [(4.8 +/- 0.4) mg.kg(-1).min(-1)], which was similar to that of the DM group [(5.6 +/- 1.0) mg.kg(-1).min(-1)], the GIR of the two groups was significantly reduced compared with the NGR goup [(4.8 +/- 0.4), (5.6 +/- 1.0) vs (10.3 +/- 0.9) mg.kg(-1).min(-1), P < 0.01]. (2) As compared with the NGR group, the fasting insulin level was increased in all the IGR groups and was decreased in the DM group. (3) The first phase of insulin secretion were similar in NGR and n-i-IFG group [(37.0 +/- 8.6) vs (31.7 +/- 9.2) mU/L, P > 0.05], and the n-i-IFG group had greater amount than the n-c-IGT group [(31.7 +/- 9.2) vs (25.9 +/- 9.8) mU/L, P > 0.05]. But it was the least in the o-c-IGT group that significantly less than the NGR group [(17.2 +/- 4.8) vs (37.0 +/- 8.6) mU/L, P < 0.05]. As compared with the NGR group, the second phase of insulin secretion was slightly increased in the n-i-IFG group [(16.6 +/- 2.9) vs (21.9 +/- 3.6) mU/L, P > 0.05], and was even greater in the n-c-IGT group [(16.6 +/- 2.9) vs (38.7 +/- 13.7) mU/L, P < 0.05]. But it was reduced in the o-c-IGT group [(20.7 +/- 2.9) mU/L]. CONCLUSIONS: (1) The IGR subjects defined by the new cut-point value already has insulin resistance. (2) Deficit in insulin secretion is worsening as the IGR deteriorates.